Chapter 261
Chapter 261
Alex didn’t give her a chance to argue or even think.
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One second Mia was standing there, trying to steady her breath, and the next, Alex’s strong arms lifted her with ease, setting her down on his office table like she weighed nothing.
Mia let out a surprised sound, her hand flying to her chest as her heart leapt. “Oh my God,” she whispered under her breath, startled by how quickly he had moved her.
Alex didn’t even flinch at her reaction. His face remained calm, unreadable, like he’d already decided what he wanted to do and nothing could shake him from it.
Before Mia could regain her bearings, Alex’s hands slid to the edge of the table, and he gently pressed her legs apart, stepping into the space between them.
Her breath caught.
The closeness was overwhelming, the scent of his cologne wrapped around her, and the steady heat radiating from his body made her pulse race wildly.
Then he leaned forward, resting his palms flat on the desk on either side of her hips. Mia instinctively leaned back, her upper body arching away as if trying to create space between them.
But it didn’t matter, their faces were so close, barely inches apart, his breath brushing against her lips every time he exhaled.
Her heart was pounding uncontrollably, so loud she swore he could hear it.
Her stomach was a wild storm of butterflies, flipping and tumbling with every second that passed.
“What do you want to know?” Alex asked quietly, his deep voice vibrating through the air between them. His eyes didn’t waver. They stayed locked on her.
Mia quickly turned her head to the side, refusing to meet his gaze. She was too scared of what she might see, too scared of what he might find in her eyes. “I don’t want to know anything,” she whispered, her voice thin and fragile.
“Baby,” Alex said softly.
And just like that, her insides melted. The single word, the way it fell from his lips, undone her. It was too much.
“Don’t call me that,” she said weakly, though deep down, every fiber of her being wanted the opposite. She wanted him to keep calling her that, over and over again.
Alex didn’t push further. He just stared at the side of her face, studying her like she was the only thing in the world that mattered.
“I love you,” he whispered.
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Chapter 261
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The words slipped out of him like a confession he could no longer hold back.
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Mia’s chest tightened. Her insides felt like jelly, soft and trembling, unable to hold themselves together.
Slowly, she turned her head back, forcing herself to meet his eyes at last. And what she saw nearly broke her.
Alex’s eyes were fixed on her with so much tenderness, so much raw affection, that it made her throat close up. He looked at her like she was his entire world, like nothing else existed. There was love there, yes–but beneath it, there was hunger, longing, desperation.
Mia’s eyes burned with the sting of tears. She wanted to cry, not because she was sad, but because she didn’t know how to contain all the feelings flooding her at once.
She was feeling too much. So much love. So much fear. So much ache. It was choking her, consuming her, and she had no idea what to do with it.
Her hand moved on its own. She lifted it slowly, hesitantly, until her fingertips brushed against his chest. She meant to push him away, she really did. But instead, her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt, gripping tightly, anchoring herself to him like she would drown if she let go.
She felt helpless against the fire inside her. Helpless against him.
Alex’s gaze dropped to her trembling hand on his chest. Something shifted in his expression. Without a word, he slid one of his own hands down and rested it on her lap.
Mia froze.
Her breath hitched as he gently tugged at the hem of her skirt, slowly pushing the fabric upward until her thighs were bare beneath his palm. His fingers brushed against her skin, warm and rough, sending sparks racing up her body.
“…Mia,” Alex breathed, his voice hoarse, heavy with restraint.
Then, before she could process it, he leaned in and captured her lips.
Mia gasped against his mouth, her entire body trembling at the touch she had missed for so long.
When he pulled back, he didn’t look away. His eyes searched hers, desperate, making sure she was okay with what had just happened.
And Mia… God, Mia wanted to cry. She missed him so much. She missed this. She missed the way his lips felt against hers, the way her body came alive in his presence, the way her heart had always belonged to him no matter how much time had passed.
She was so in love with him it hurt.
Her voice was barely a whisper. “Why is she here?”
Her words broke in the middle, fragile and unsure. She wasn’t even sure if it was jealousy speaking, or fear, or both.
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Chapter 261
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But she needed to know. She needed to know if Zoe’s presence meant she was about to walk into another nightmare….another game…..another Willowcrest all over again.
Alex stared at her, his jaw tightening slightly.
“Her family lost everything,” he said after a beat. His voice was calm, steady, but his eyes held hers, begging her to listen. “She came to me a few months ago for help. I got her a position here. And an apartment.”
Mia blinked, trying to piece it together. “What happened to them?” she asked softly. Almost without realizing it, her hand slid higher up his chest until it rested against his face, her palm cupping his cheek.
Alex’s eyes softened. He leaned into her touch as if it was the most natural thing in the world. “Bad investment. Debt. Gambling,” he explained, his voice low. Then he turned his head slightly, pressing his lips gently against the center of her palm.
Mia’s skin tingled at the touch, her entire body lighting up with warmth. She had to force herself to focus on the conversation, to not get lost in the way he was looking at her.
“But… an apartment?” she pressed, her voice barely above a whisper. “Why not your house?”
Her tone wasn’t accusatory. It was small, almost pleading. She just needed to understand. She needed to know how far things had gone.
“She couldn’t have stayed in my place,” Alex said firmly, shaking his head. “That would’ve been too much. Too many boundaries crossed. I have nothing with her, baby.” His voice softened again, low and earnest, like he was begging her to believe him.
Mia stared at him, searching his face, desperate to catch even the smallest flicker of dishonesty. But there was none, only sincerity.
Her throat tightened. “Did you… after I left?” she asked.
Alex frowned slightly. “Do what?”
“Have something with her,” Mia whispered, her voice breaking. “Maybe dated…sex… kissed…”
Alex shook his head immediately. His hand moved back to her face, cradling it gently, grounding her.
“I didn’t, baby. I never thought of it. Never considered it. I don’t feel like that towards her anymore.” His eyes bore into hers, his voice pleading, raw. “I swear to you.”
“So you didn’t even kiss her?” Mia asked, her fingers absentmindedly toying with the collar of his shirt, her voice trembling with vulnerability.
“The only person I wanted to kiss was you,” Alex said without hesitation.
His words stole her breath.
“You enchanted me so much,” he continued, his voice breaking slightly, “that nothing made sense after you left.”
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Chapter 261
Mia let out a shaky laugh, the sound fragile and disbelieving..
“You’re so beautiful,” Alex whispered suddenly.
The smile slipped from her face slowly. Her heart squeezed painfully at the sincerity in his tone.
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She stared at him, her lips trembling. “Do you really mean everything?” she asked softly, her voice nearly cracking.
“Everything,” Alex said without pause. He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss against her lips, quick but full of promise.
“I love you, Turner.”
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